Agenda item

To receive any written questions from Members under Standing Order 47.  Notice should be given in writing to the Community Partnership and Committee Officer of formal questions by 12.00 noon four working days before the meeting.

(Responses will be provided at the meeting)

1)    Titsey Road  - Councillor Nick Skellett

The Chairman noted the response. Mr David Hodge thanked the Chairman for his work pursuing improvements to this road, as it partly falls into his division. Mr Hodge asked to be kept informed of progress.

2)    A25 Westerham Road – Councillor Nick Skellett

The Chairman noted the response.

3)    M25 Junction 6 traffic lights – Councillor Nick Skellett

The Chairman noted the response but said there still seems to be an issue with the sequencing.

4)    Traffic lights on Woodhurst Lane by Morrisons – Councillor Nick Skellett

The Chairman noted the response.

5)    Recent flooding in Caterham, Whyteleafe and Chaldon – Councillor John Orrick

Mr Orrick thanked officers for the response to the question. He stated that the impact of the flash flooding in his division has mainly fallen on residential properties– with over 50 properties suffering, largely from foul water inundations. Mr Orrick spoke about the distress this has caused for residents, including residents of a Sheltered Accommodation unit where the whole downstairs had been flooded. He said that residents are feeling angry and abandoned.

Mr Orrick thanked the County Council, District Council, Police and Fire and Rescue services for their immediate actions. He expressed his gratitude towards Ian Good, Head of Emergency Management, for arranging the recent surgeries with the National Flood Forum, and to the Leader of Surrey County Council, Councillor David Hodge, for confirming there will be a review of this incident.

Mr Orrick asked how the impact of flooding can be lessened, or prevented, in future.

Mrs Marks confirmed that there are still residents in her division living in hotel accommodation, who are unlikely to be able to return to their homes for some time. She expressed her concern that flooding had not been prevented in the ‘hotspots’ already known to the county council. Businesses around Caterham roundabout and Church Walk have been badly affected. Both Mrs Marks and Mrs Windsor expressed their thanks to Steve Cunnah, Highway Maintenance Engineer, for his work.

Mrs Windsor and Mrs Marks said gully clearance had been inadequate. Mrs Marks asked why gullies on the A22 at Whyteleafe had not been emptied for 18 months, despite being raised on a number of occasions, and felt that contractors had not done their jobs properly.

Mrs Windsor was concerned that new housing developments had been put in without adequate drainage, and that this was exacerbating the problems.

Doug Hill, Strategic Network Resilience Manager, stated that a significant amount of rain had fallen in a short time. This event was therefore very different to the flooding of winter 2013. He said there are over 1000 known wetspots across the county, and these have to be prioritised in terms of risk to safety. A ‘Section 19’ investigation will be undertaken. This will identify which authorities had a function, and whether or not they carried out this function. He confirmed that the investigation will also look more widely at the issues. The Officer agreed to bring this report back to the committee to see what lessons can be learned.

The Officer confirmed that the National Flood Forum will continue to run drop-in sessions with advice and guidance over the coming weeks and the county council will help to publicise these.

John Lawlor, Local Delivery Manager confirmed that gully clearing had been completed in over 30 local roads, with repairs identified and scheduled. He asked members to tell them about any broken pipes in their divisions that they are aware of, so that they can be added to the list of repairs.  He confirmed that the contract for gully maintenance had been reviewed, and dedicated officer resource put in to manage this contract going forwards.

Mr Orrick asked whether relief of council tax could be granted to those unable to return to their homes. Mr Hodge confirmed the county council’s finance team were working with the district council on this, and that he will be raising the matter with the Secretary of State. He stated that as Leader of the county council, he sees flooding as a key risk for the county. He said the risks increase as more people tarmac over driveways and gardens, resulting in the water having nowhere to drain away naturally. He stated that the district council has a really important role in planning and needs to ensure soakaways are built into planning applications, and enforced. The Chairman referred the committee to the responses received to letters written by the committee to the Head of Planning at Tandridge District Council, and to Doug Hill, Strategic Network Resilience Manager.

District Councillor for Westway, Eithne Webster, thanked Mr Orrick for facilitating this item. She explained that residents had suffered terribly as a result of this flash flooding. She requested that the county council’s contact centre are asked to ensure residents phoning up with flooding problems are invited to contact their county councillor. She said that some residents had their council tax already covered through their insurance company. She asked if a schedule for gully clearing could be published, and shared locally, so that residents could move parked cars. She confirmed that Tandridge District Council do enforce the provision of soakaways.

The Chairman stated that flooding incidents like this which affect people’s homes need to be a priority. He requested that Mr Orrick and Mrs Marks identify those areas where gullies have not been cleared so that the Chairman and Vice-Chairman can seek to prioritise funds appropriately during Finance meetings with Highways.